There were several Old Order Brethren congregations in Somerset County. Many people incorrectly refer to this sect of the Anabaptists as "DUNKARD". This term was applied to the members of the Church of the Brethren in the late 19th century and early 20th. The word "Dunker" was acutally a anglicized corruption of the German word, "Tunker," which means "dipper" or immerser referring to the mode of baptism practiced by this group. The term is still used today by two minor conservative orders, Old Order Dunkards and the Dunkard Brethren. The mode of baptism practiced by this group was adopted during this groups founding in Pennsylvania in the 1770's.
It is believed that the first religious group to arrive in Somerset County were the German Baptists or "Die Bruder's Leute". They are the one's who named "Brueder Thal" or Brothers Valley and were said to have been organized in the county as early as 1763.
After moving to LaGrange, Indiana, James and Catherine Boyd belonged to the Lupold Church which was four miles west and one and one quarter miles south of their homestead, and they lived in accordance with it's doctrine.
The Church of the Brethren or German Baptist Church or "Dunkards" as they were called had a large following. In 1854 meetings were held in the Poynter schoolhouse. In 1857 a church was partly organized with Samuel Doney and Samuel Lupold appointed deacons; with David Evans and Benjamin Leer serving as ministers. On Christmas 1874 this group dedicated a church on land of Samuel Lupold and it was called the Lupold Church where the Boyd family worshipped for years. (The Church was later removed sometime after 1933)
In this church the men sat on the leftside and the women on the rightside. They believed in the "washing of the feet" which was observed at their communion service and the wine was served to all from one cup. They did not believe in pride and adornment. In summer the women wore very plain dresses, a white lace cap under a plain but later on a fancier straw bonnet. In winter a hood or facinator. Fancy accessories and jewelry were not for them. The men wore very plain suits and broad-brimmed hats.
